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"We did Mendoza right" was the general consensus by the end of our four-day stay.

Bonnie and I left Buenos Aires with plans to meet up with one friend, try some wine, and maybe hike around the mountains a bit. We left with more friends than intended and some off-the-beaten-path adventures that lead us to the conclusion that we got the best experience out of Mendoza.

Our first day, we were lucky enough to get a personal tour around the city from a local Mendocino, my home-stay mom's nephew. Bonnie and I had few expectations, but we ended up laughing for hours as our two new Mendocino friends grew accustomed to our quirky American ways and broken Spanish.

Back in the hostel, we experienced our first chance encounter with fellow Californians since arriving in Argentina. Blessed with little plans for the remainder of the trip, it worked out quite perfectly for the five of us to explore Mendoza together. Our first goal: go wine tasting in a few of Mendoza's hundred wineries without breaking the bank. Solution: ditch the tours and figure it out. This included hopping on a local city bus to take us to a family-owned bike rental shop in the Maipu wine region. There, Mr. Hugo equipped us with some very basic bicycles, a map of the nearby wineries, and a couple discounts on tastings. Let's just say the wineries, big and small, did not disappoint. From lavish establishments that provided us full bottles of expensive vino to the mom-and-pop shops that had us taste their homemade absinthe, we enjoyed every stop on our self-guided tour.

After such a great time wine tasting, it only made sense to travel again together the following day. This time, we really chose to do things the unconventional way. Once again forgoing the pricey tours, the five of us chipped in for a car rental with the idea of driving to the Argentine-Chilean border through the Andes. The rapidly changing landscape during the 10,500-ft ascent left us astounded and wondering where on Earth we could be to experience such breathtaking nature. Aside from the stunning scenery, we ended up with tears in our eyes from laughter due to the many self-timed photos gone awry, our confusing run-in with Argentine customs officers, and love-tapping a pole in our rental car. Overall, bike cruising through the vineyards, hitting the open road in the Andes, and spending time with locals made for a unique and unforgettable trip to Mendoza.